An overview of power quality state estimation

The boom in using high-tech but sensitive equipment has led to a considerable interest in power quality. Power quality, in addition to reliability, is a prerequisite for the continuous operation of many facilities using high-tech equipment. Utilities are therefore installing power quality monitors for evaluating network improvement or undertaking post-fault analysis. In addition, end-users are requesting for power quality information in order to gain an in-depth knowledge of their equipment performance to power quality variations. However, implementing monitoring at all nodes of the power network may not be warranted in term of cost and complexity. Because of this, there has been a significant increase in interest in using computer modeling and simulations to predict and estimate power quality at unmonitored points. In recent years, a wide range of state estimation methods has emerged, and this paper provides an overview of the commonly used power quality state estimation methods. It outlines the steps involved in the estimation and discusses the various important considerations as well as challenges faced by these endeavors